Imagine our delight when global super brand Airbnb engaged us to create an installation for the reception of their new European headquarters in Dublins Dockland’s. It needed to be both fitting to their brand yet celebrate the diversity, history and heritage of their new address and it's surroundings.
We created
- Design & Art Direction
- Wayfinding
- Environmental Branding
- Immersive Experience
Contemporary finish, rich history
Housed in one of the last remaining warehouse buildings in the Dublin docklands, the new headquarters had been sensitively designed to a high finish by architects Heneghan Peng. From the outset, we knew 2D graphics wasn’t going to cut it so opted for a 3D installation that would compliment the interior in all of its glory while also telling the story of the building’s rich past.
Uncovering the past
Through an indepth research process we discovered that this landmark building had previously been home to Dublin Ice & Cold Storage, the Raleigh Bycicle Factory and a Skate Park, to name a few. With such fascinating former residents, all sorts of ideas sparked for the installation. But we felt what would really connect and celebrate the past with everyone today was to build a collection of artifacts related to the warehouse and the people who worked there long before.
A living timeline
Working with the Airbnb team in Dublin and San Francisco we created a tangible timeline that marries communities past and present. We sourced bikes, skateboards, brochures, photographs, hats, posters and even an ice axe from 1865. A peg mounted system was created to work with the building’s fabric, whilst the timeline is designed to be flexible and grow and added to as time goes on. The timeline has proved to be a real converstation starter with both visitors and global staff alike and has helped define Airbnb’s place in Dublin’s history today. It provides a warm engaging welcome to the building and a popular feature of Open House Dublin and the Irish Architecture Foundation (IAF) tours to the site.
As sponsor of the Open House Dublin, (Ireland’s largest architecture festival) Airbnb is helping to leverage great content and immersive experiences by opening up their international office at Hanover Quay for everyone to enjoy.
It looks so, so great. Huge thanks for all of your hard work pulling this together. I cannot wait to see it in person!
